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Former Canucks captain Trevor Linden addresses media after being named president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks NHL hockey team by Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini by at Rogers Arena.

VANCOUVER — Trevor Linden returned to his hockey home today when he was introduced as the new president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks.

Linden was introduced at a Rogers Arena news conference by team owner Francesco Aquilini, who a day earlier had fired former general manager and team president Mike Gillis.

"Today is a real honour," Linden said. "I came to Vancouver 26 years ago and I never left. I love this city, it is my home and the Canucks have always been a big part of my family. I always believed that I would once again work in this great game, the game that I loved and felt such a privilege to be a part of. I was not sure when or in what capacity but it always remained a goal of mine.

"When this opportunity to be president of hockey operations was presented to me I gave it great thought and I simply could not pass it up. Through my 20 years as a player, 15 years with the NHLPA and my more recent work in growing and leading a private business I believe I am ready for this challenge. I am young, I am passionate about this team and I learned a lot. … I am looking forward to getting started, getting to know everyone in the organization and working together to deliver a championship-calibre team to this great city."

Linden has lots of work to do. The Canucks are finishing off a miserable season and have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. That was the same year he retired as a player.

"I left the game six years ago and wasn't sure what the future would hold," Linden said. "I have enjoyed my time away from the game. Having said that, you don't play 20 years in the National Hockey League and spend your whole life in hockey and not have it your DNA. So I always kind of thought I'd be back. I never wanted to work for another organization. I'm a sports fan, I love this team, I follow the team closely and this opportunity at my age, I'm 43, is a great challenge and I am really excited about the opportunity and the future."

Aquilini said Linden will make all hockey-related decisions.

"Trevor will make all of the decisions on hockey-related personnel, coaches, players, free agents," Aquilini said. "Trevor will in be charge of all hockey operations and make all the decisions."

Linden said he has been promised full autonomy.

"I have had a great conversation with Francesco and his family and they have given me full control to make the right decisions and full autonomy, Obviously, in any sport organization a good working relationship with ownership is important and I intend to spend a lot of time working with them and having them fully understand the decisions we make and why, but ultimately I am very comfortable with the autonomy that I have."

One of Linden's first tasks will be to hire a general manager. He said that process will begin immediately.

"That is a process that I have to throughly evaluate," Linden said. "We will do a general manager search from within and from outside our organization."

Linden hopes to have a GM hired before the NHL draft in late June, "preferably by early June."

Aquilini, meanwhile, said season-ticket holders are being given an extension on their renewal packages in order to digest today's news. The original renewal deadline was today.

Several of the current Canucks players played with Linden late in his career.

"I was lucky enough to play with Trevor and sat beside him in the locker room and he taught me so much as a young guy, just the way to be a pro and act like a pro, the way to prepare and the way to carry yourself on and off the ice," said winger Alex Burrows. "It's a very exciting day for the organization. He has a lot of knowledge, he is a great leader and he knows what it takes to win. I think it's a good step in the right direction."

Defenceman Kevin Bieksa also played with Linden.

"He's very intelligent, a good hockey mind, very determined," Bieksa said. "I kind of heard some of his press conference there and he said this is going to be more than a full-time job, he is going to put everything into it. He cares about this city, he cares about this organization and team. He cares about how it does. Those are all great attributes."

Coach John Tortorella said he met with Linden briefly earlier today.

"I used to love watching him play, a big-game player," Tortorella said. "But I just met him today. As far a conversation, nuts and bolts, it was just hello and basically that was it."

Tortorella also expressed concern for Gillis, whom he called a friend.

"I feel responsible for Mike," Tortorella said. "Mike is a friend of mine. I worry about him and I worry about his family."

Trevor Linden (right) and Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini arrive at a news conference in Vancouver on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at Rogers Arena, where the former captain was named the team's new president of hockey operations.

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